Kids

Ready, Set, Breakfast!

"Eat your breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day!" Why are parents always saying that?

Well, imagine you're a car. After a long night of sleeping, your fuel tank is empty. Breakfast is the fuel that gets you going so you can hit the road.

What Should You Eat?

Any breakfast is better than no breakfast, but try not to have doughnuts or pastries all the time. They're high in calories, sugar, and fat. They also don't contain the nutrients a kid really needs. And if you have a doughnut for breakfast, you won't feel full for long.

Just like with other meals, try to eat a variety of foods, including:

fruit

vegetables

grains ( make at least half your grains whole grains)

protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dry beans, nuts, and seeds)

dairy products (low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese, and yogurt)

Breakfast Ideas

First, the traditional ones:

eggs

French toast, waffles, or pancakes (try wheat or whole-grain varieties)

cold cereal and milk

hot cereal, such as oatmeal or cream of wheat (try some dried fruit or nuts on top)

Skipping Breakfast

Some kids skip breakfast because they sleep too late or because they think it's a way to stay thin. But skipping breakfast doesn't help people maintain a healthy weight. In fact, someone who skips breakfast tends to eat more calories throughout the day.

If you find yourself skipping breakfast because you're too rushed, try these quick breakfasts. They're easy to grab on the way out the door or can be prepared the night before:

single servings of whole-grain, low-sugar cereal

yogurt

fresh fruit

whole-grain muffin

trail mix of nuts, dried fruits, pretzels, crackers, and dry cereal

Need More Convincing?

Just in case you need more evidence that eating breakfast is the way to go, kids who don't eat breakfast are less able to learn at school, get less iron (an important nutrient) in their diets, and are more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI), which is a sign they may be overweight.

On the other hand, kids who eat breakfast do better in school, are more likely to participate in physical activities, and tend to eat healthier overall. So tomorrow morning, don't run out the door on an empty stomach. Fuel up with a healthy breakfast!